Therese Rogan, fdf NI Regional Director, with Francis Martin, President of the Northern Ireland Chamber of Commerce, and Hugh Black, Manager of Victoria Square, at Tuesday’s Masterclass on the future of Retail by Hugh Black
To celebrate the development of Northern Ireland’s first ever Retail Foundation Degree, launched in January 2010, students involved in the innovative development were given a masterclass on the future of the sector by Hugh Black, Manager of the jewel in Belfast’s retail crown, Victoria Square.
The event was organized by fdf (Foundation Degree Forward) in partnership with Skillsmart Retail and the Northern Ireland Retail Consortium. The development of this Foundation Degree has been funded by the Department for Employment and Learning (DEL) and is provided by a consortium of representatives from the six Northern Ireland Colleges and the University of Ulster.
Speaking at the event, held in Victoria Square’s Viewing Dome, Thérèse Rogan, NI Regional Director at fdf, said:
“This Foundation degree in Retailing has been validated as a two-year work based programme for people employed in the sector. This mode of delivery evolved to meet the management and leadership skills needs of employees, employers and the wider community – with 11% of the workforce employed in retail in Northern Ireland this is a very important sector within the Northern Ireland economy.
“The development draws upon an extensive consultation with national and regional employers. Locally, Tescos, Henderson’s and Supervalu are participating in this first programme. It is an intensive but achievable study programme supported by employer mentors and specialist tutors employed by the six Northern Ireland regional colleges. Employees participating on the programme study via blended learning, making use of a technology supported ‘online classroom’, as well as some attendance at their regional college
“We are extremely grateful to Victoria Square for hosting today’s event and to Hugh Black, the manager of this magnificent centre, for providing the masterclass and passing on his knowledge. Retail employees have gained invaluable lessons today from one of the biggest names in the sector, which will serve them well in what we hope will be successful retail careers.”
Employers and staff who are studying for the qualification were joined at today’s event by Francis Martin, the new President of the Northern Ireland Chamber of Commerce.
Chamber President Francis Martin, who addressed the masterclass, said:
“I am delighted to see that the Retail Foundation Degree has got off to such a good start in Northern Ireland and, with participants in the first year progressing so well, it further demonstrates that retail is becoming a profession in its own right.
“The retail sector is becoming increasingly more important to the Northern Ireland economy and it is a tremendous boost that, on completion of this degree, retail employees will have the skills to make effective management decisions within a retail business and propose critical and effective solutions to complex problems within a business context.”
The Consortium has developed a co-operative model of delivery for the Retail Foundation Degree programme which has seen the first cohort of students enrolled by Northern Regional College, the Consortium’s lead college. However, the delivery of the modules will be shared by the colleges in accordance with their particular areas of expertise. The programme is validated by the University of Ulster.
Roisin Loughran, from Tesco, said:
“The fact that businesses have contributed to the development of the degree programme means it is mutually beneficial to employers and employees. The timetable of the modules means there are no interruptions to employers’ needs in terms of trading patterns at busy times, such as Christmas and Summer, while the workplace mentoring system sees employees receive support from store and personnel managers. The study process is intensive, but achievable, and values the workplace as a learning environment.”
Zoe Young, from Henderson’s, said:
“The programme provides an approach to learning that stimulates critical thinking and reflection in the workplace, which are exactly the skills that employers are seeking from their staff. Upon completion of the Retail Foundation degree students will be able to demonstrate knowledge and vocational understanding of the retail industry, as well as be able to apply critical thinking to the analysis of a range of operational methods.”
Recruitment for the next cohort of retail foundation degree students is now underway – contact your local regional college for more information.
